


Batman Fic Prompts

by ShipVigilante (CaxceberXVI)



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Cooking, Domestic, Fluff, Multi, Other, established relationships - Freeform, promps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26917624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaxceberXVI/pseuds/ShipVigilante
Summary: a collection of fics from promps i got on tumblr. if you want to give me one please use this https://prompts.neocities.org/with 2 characters one of the fandoms listed in my bio (although preferably batman characters as thats the fandom im in right now.)id recommend using a randomizer to pick some characters. get some weird shit going! you can also request my OC Shepherd with anyone but ill only be posting sfw fics in this work
Relationships: Edward Nygma/Original Female Character(s), Jonathan Crane/Edward Nygma, Jonathan Crane/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. OC X Riddler: Cooking

_**Your prompt:** Edward and Shepherd cooking something without the recipe, because Shepherd is confident they know how to cook it from memory._

\-------------------

“You're not doing it right.” Edward sucked in air through his teeth and forced down any insults that threatened to spill from his lips. He was  _ trying _ , god help him, really trying to let someone else take charge for once. Shepherd was on the countertop beside him, watching as he worked. He was attempting to cook: something twice baked Shepherd had made once . it was the only thing he could think off the top of his head that he actually enjoyed eating. He hoped Shepherd would offer to cook tonight, he was tired as usual. But Shepherd had insisted he at least  _ try _ . He was utterly loath to admit it, but for all his expertise, he wasn't much of a cook. Shep asked why not, of course and he’d dodged the question. A few hours of hemming and haa-ing and “but it's better when someone else makes it” and she finally weaseled a confession out of him: he didn't know how. 

A few minutes more of gentle teasing and Shep offered to teach him how to make this particular dish. It couldn't be as hard as it looked. Edward was sure there wasn't much to it. He’d read all the books, understood all the principals, he simply had better things to do with his time than cook...and not enough patience to eat it. He fainted last week; he’d been walking down stairs when suddenly the world began to spin like a demented ride in jokerland. Had he not been near the bottom step of his ramshackle hideout when he fell, he would have needed a lot more than a few stitches to patch him back together. He’d grudgingly taken himself to urgent care in the nearest free clinic; Just his luck that Shepherd would be the Attending that night.

A low iron count seemed to have contributed to his fainting spell but Shepherd suspected it was more than that: he was dangerously thin, a bmi of only 14 was the clearest cause of his many ailments. Simply put, he needed to eat more. Shep insisted he take himself to Gotham general for inpatient treatment, he insisted she stop blocking the door. They were as stubborn as each other, they could argue until the cows came home and never agreed. but Shepherd had other patients to see so she came up with an idea; he could stay with her until he gained some weight. That way Edward could avoid a dreaded hospital stay and still have medical supervision and she didn't have to worry about a friend and a patient being taken out by a stiff breeze. He’d been once or twice with Jon, Shepherds apartment was mercifully large enough that they need not see each other if they didn't want to and it might be nice to stay somewhere where the heating actually worked for once. Much to her surprise, he agreed.

All that brought him to his current problem. Shepherd was many things, but a decent teacher she was not. “then how  _ should _ i be doing it???” he hissed. Shepherd nudged him out of the way with her hip, grabbing at the spatula left dangling in the side of the pan “ you've got too much oil, you're going to burn the veggies and probably yourself when it starts to spit. You can't take your eye off it when it's this close to the flashpoint.” she tipped some of the oil down the sink and stood back to let him take over again “ you said a teaspoon of oil” edward muttered under his breath “i said a spot of oil and to wipe it around the pan with a paper towel.” Shepherd motioned circles around an imaginary pan “ just give it a coating, when we add the chicken there’ll be more than enough to grease the pan” Edward looked at her , incredulous “that doesn't make sense, why bother with the oil at all then?” before she could respond , he waved her off “never mind, Give me the recipe.” Shepherd snorted “ what recipe?.” Edwards neck cracks with the force he turns to look at her “are you just making this up as you go along? What if you don't cook it long enough? What if you get food poisoning or-or-Ed, it's fine. I've been cooking for years, i promise i know what I'm doing.” she smiles “ is that..is that why you don't cook? You're afraid of getting sick-i'm not afraid!” he retorts “i just...have other things to focus on. It...gets away from me.”” life’ll escape you if you keep thinking like that.” She runs a thumb over the stitches on his forehead, pushing a curl of red hair out of his face” you could have told me, edward. I thought you just couldn't be bothered, if i'd known you were sitting in your hidy-hole, hungry , id have stopped by with some leftovers or...i don't know, something!” her hand cards through his short curls, pressing their foreheads together “ i won't let you starve, eddie.” on queue Edwards stomach growls loudly. They both burst out laughing “well it was almost a nice moment” Shepherd giggles.

A beeper sounds loudly “oh Is it ready?” Shepherd's smile fades from her face as the smell of burning wafts through the air. They both glare at the charred remains of the vegetables. Shepherd sprints to the oven, ripping the pan off the stove and tossing it in the sink, water hitting the scorched metal with a static hiss. “Shall i order pizza then?” Shepherd sighed 

“ please.”


	2. OC X Scarecrow :Holding hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i will die on the gentleman scarecrow hill. his og origin story is one of my favorites so its usually the one i stick to. i dont tend to pick between granny keeny and elijah crane as his aggressor, sometimes its both, sometimes neither. what does usually stick in my stories and au is Bo Griggs and sherie squires. ive forgotten who wrote that particular scarecrow story but they did a bangup job and no one ( in my mind) as come close to it.  
> anyway
> 
> here is some fluffy jon x shepherd. generally i have them as neighbours and childhood friends. my jon is aro and my shep is generally ace so i dont really do romance for them, but qpr and super sweet friendships are right up my alley for this pairing

_**Your prompt:** Jonathan and Shepherd holding hands because there's a crowd but not letting go when they get out of it._

\----------

“You know I don't like crowds, Jon.” Shepherd pulled her scarf tighter around her face, pressing closer to him. He’d dragged her to yet another harvest fair, a twilight market on main street “ they only come roun’ once a year.” he’d said “besides i'll buy you dinner.”. There were several of these fetes dotted around Stone Mountain and Atlanta in the weeks leading up to halloween. Why Jonathan insisted on going to virtually every one of them was beyond her. “ya scared?” Jonathan smirked, “you rightly know I am.” she fumed, her voice muffled by the thick tan fabric around her mouth and neck. It was only a little after sundown but it was already freezing. She should have known, should have taken her own scarf with her.Thankfully jonathan had offered his, with only minimal prompting. Shepherd shudders and squeezes the others arm hard enough to cut off circulation. A passerby shoulders her out of the way and earns an eye roll from Jonathan. Both he and shepherd had long since been used to being the town pariahs; he could tolerate the names, the rumors about the freak and the outsider, but peoples incredibly public lack of manners still had him burning thunderwood. 

He could see Shepherd from the corner of his eye; her hypervigilant twitching, her pin prick irises flinting back and forth as she scanned for non-existent danger. She was afraid, absolutely terror was written plain across her round pale face. And yet, she still walked, let him take his time at the stalls, stood unmoving while he took photos of the displays and fire works but gently refused when he offered some cider to calm her nerves. She wasn't normally like this; a nervous little bug, a startled doe ready to bolt in front of traffic. it was just the crowds that set her teeth on edge. as long as he’d known her, and it was a good long while now, she’d never said why.

Being the southern gentleman he was, he’d politely refrained from asking. 

They’d stopped for snacks: cracklin for him and a little punnet of cheese straws for her. He was about to be on his merry way when he heard a huge crash followed by an all too familiar laugh “aww poor little birdy!” Someone drawled “fall outa yer nest?” “You'd think she’d be used to being afraid, hanging round a scarecrow all damn day” shepherd was on the floor, bloody knees drawn to her chest, one thin arm up in defence. Bo Griggs and his moronic followers loomed over her.

Snacks dropped and forgotten in his hurry to get to her “RJ!” He skidds to her side, long arms providing a barrier between her and their schoolmates “RJ, you ok?” the calloused pads of his hands found her rosy face “talk to me darlin’ you good?” Shepherd nods, fat tears rolling down her face and seeping into the sleeves of his old duster coat. 

Satisfied she was at least in one piece,Jonathan's face hardened. He turned on the spot , ready to spit venom on anything remotely Bo shaped.“Real funny, Griggs. S‘That how you get your kicks now? Scarin’ girls cuz the fellas know you aint shit?” he helped Shepherd to her feet, gently pushing her behind him, out of Griggs view “funny you should mention shit. Thought that's what i stepped in when i bumped into her” Shepherd flinched,clinging harder to the back of his coat as Bo pointed an accusatory finger at her. “It's funny, y’know? Seein’ you freaks always makes me laugh. Trust the dumbest scarecrow to pick the ugliest bird he could find.”he sneered “ with a beak like that she could put someone's eye out- hows about i take your eye out.Enough!”Shepherd finally found her voice. ”Jon. i want to go.” she whispered “now. Please.” he was still ready to pitch a fit, but one look at shepherds miserable expression softened his heart “ alright darlin’. Let's get you home.”

  
  


He kept his head high( as well as his middle finger) as they left, one arm still slung around shepherds shoulders. They might have been outcasts but even their most ardent detractors would have something to say about Bo’s pisspoor behavior as of late. He was loud, brutish and arrogant. They all knew football was the only reason he and his lot got a pass while he and shepherd were hung out to dry. If bo griggs ever had an idea it would die of loneliness but he was still smart enough to take advantage of that. 

“If i had my druthers”He spoke loudly, without fear of being heard as the glow of the market was well behind them “he’d be suckin on my latest batch in the basement.” Shepherd gives a halfhearted smile “that wouldn't solve nothin ''’' ' no... but there ain't no harm in tryin.’” he nudges her playfully. Shepherd hardly reacts, save for her the remains of her terrible trembling. Jonathan sighs “Sit Down for a second.” he motions “N’d leme take a look at that knee.”

He finds them a low brick wall, even so shepherds legs barely touch the ground “‘M fine.” she murmurs “‘’s nothin’.” “suit yourself.” Jonathan settles beside her . A moment's silence passes, shepherd looking between them, confused “You know, you can let go of my hand now.”She said softly, looking at the tiny gap between them , Jonathan's pockmarked hand engulfing her gloved one “and if I don't wanna?” “hmm...” she sighed 

“ suit yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly fuck bo griggs.


	3. OC X Riddler :Hiccups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i hate the hiccups. i get them every morning but only when i go to brush my teeth.  
> weird.

**Your prompt:** Shepherd gets the hiccups, causing Edward to laugh every time they try to talk until Edward gets the hiccups too.

“It's not-hicc-funny-hicc!” She does another funny little hop in place that sends Edward into a wrinkle “EDWARD!” Shepherd fumes between hics “ This is ser-hic- ser-HIC. UGH!” She balls her hands in carefully set her hair “important. This is important.” her shoulders sag in relief , finally having got through a complete sentence. “How am i going to hold this meeting if i can't stop-HIC!” Shep watched as the digits of the elevator climbed ever higher, numbers reflected in anxious blue eyes “well....” Edward adjusted his tie and slung and arm around her shoulders, charm oozing from his pores “i cou-dont even think about it.”She snapped “you didn't even let me finish!” affection withdrawn edward sulks, making a show of folding his arms and turning his back on her “ i don't need to be clairvoyant to see what a royal shitshow things would be if- if you let me run the show yeah yeah whatever.” he huffed “I'm not asking you to let me adlib. You have notes right? Give them to me, I'll have them memorized by the time the meeting starts. “ Hiccups interrupt her thoughts, shepherd settles for mimes and a firm head shake that rattles her simple jewellery “thats sweet but I'm trying HICC to get these guys to take me seriousLHICC'' edwards posture betrays him, shoulders crinkling as he tries to hide his laughter “ and you're doing a marvelous job so far,darling.“ he says between snickers. She takes a deep breath, the end of their elevator ride drawing to a close “i NEED them to take me seriously. How would it look for a woman in my position to need her boyfriend to read her notes for her? Her formally criminal boyfriend i might add.”shep pressed a hand to her temple willing this day to be over.“ I mean, what would they think?” Edward glanced over his shoulder, a frown plastered across his face “Noted.”He said tersely “Once a criminal always a criminal. got’cha.”

“I didnt mean it like that.” She pulled him back towards her, pale hands stroking the sides of his folded arms “Edward. Please understand. I love you with all my heart.” she began “But you are and always have been a very acquired taste, my lo-HIC!” He finally turns back, features softened “it's hard.” he murmured “how can I convince people to give me a second chance?” “i don't know the answer to that,Edward.” her shoulders jump but she is at least quiet “ but… you must be doing something right. You got me after all.” shepherd smirks as she drapes herself around him “ oh yeah?” “And...well if we’re being pedantic, this would be your 3rd or 4th chance “ she bussies herself adjusting his tie and flattening the lapels of his dark green suit jacket “i didn't know we were keeping count.” Edward rested his arms around her hips loosely, foreheads pressed together as the elevator began to slow “ you know.” Edward whispered in her ear “ the elevator key is right there. We could just turn it off. What's a few minutes?” shepherd sighs contentedly, hot breath trailing down the crook of his neck “ we could,...but “ the ding of arrival forces them apart, back to looking somewhat respectable and not at all as if they were ready to disrobe in a glass walled lift 20 stories up in the air “oh well. There's always next time.” Finally there is silence in the tiny cubicle, as they wait for the doors to open “hey!” they've stopped” Edward smiles, striding confidently out into the grand hall of the Gotham royal hotel “ed. Wait.'' Before he can realize what's happening Shepherd has captured his lips for a quick kiss. It's over as soon as it begins and Shepherd slips past him like a breeze “ what was that for?” he grins, jogging to catch up with her “For luck.” he grabs her hand so they can walk in together.”You don't need luck. Youve got -Hicc!”

"Crap."


	4. OC X Riddler :Umbrella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Suicide attempt
> 
> this one got kinda dark but it was hella fun to write. this is a scene from my au but i got the prompt for it so i figured i should just use it for this as an excuse to write the au for a change.
> 
> tldr my imagining of what might happen if batman never got riddler out from under the orphanage.

**Your prompt:** Edward is alone in the rain because they forgot to bring an umbrella, Shepherd offers to share their

The pinkney orphanage was now dull and grey. The once vibrant green lights that illuminated the clouds for miles around had been snuffed out by gotham water and power. No surprise really, mindless insects that they were ,they’d filtered back into the city at dawn and killed the lights citywide to drive out the last of the militia still foolish enough to remain after Slades capture. A small, bitter laugh wormed its way out of his throat. Of course Wilson had been important enough to warrant the Bats time, nothing like threatening to blow shit to hell to get people to pay attention to you. 

Edward’s hands ball into fists in the gravel beneath him , trapping dirt under his nails, scratching his knuckles red raw. He couldn't tell if he was angry or sad. Was he not worthy of Batman's time? Not interesting enough? not dangerous enough? Or was he just not smart enough? He could have rigged the city to blow if he wanted to, the thought had crossed his mind. But that would have drawn others into their game, bomb defusal experts, the military, the government. He wouldn't share Batman's attention with anyone…

He's not sure he could, even if he wanted to. 

The rain is getting icy, seeping into his sodden clothes, stealing what little heat remained in him as it runs in rivulets down his face, his neck and arms. His head is bowed in exhaustion, droplets drip down from his nose, tinted pink from where the Cat hit him. Was that his mistake? Should he have kept her longer? Killed her and forced Batman's hand? No. Cold blooded murder was not his style. He should never have invited her in the first place. So what the hell was it? What did he have to do to win? What in god's name did he have to do to get someone to pay attention to him?!

Edward buries his face in his hands, willing the tears to stop. He wasn't good enough. He was never good enough and now he’d never know why. With Batman dead he’d never get the answers he needed. _“You're a failure”_ a voice in his head screams _“that's the answer, that's always the answer!”_

He’s not sure it even matters anymore. The answer would never satisfy. Edward stifled a sob in the crook of his arm but he needn’t have bothered. waves crash and break on the cliffside, spraying him from head to toe. Between the rain and the ocean you couldn't hear a damn thing. The only noise he could make out was the soft plick of sleet on his exposed skin; torrents spilled from the sky had seen him soaked to the bone long before high tide. He’d lost track of how long he’d been sitting here but it was still light when he’d wandered out from the bowels of the abandoned building. Hed heard the news as soon as he had cel signal again; batman, unmasked and presumed dead in an explosion at wayne manor. The realization hit him in waves, confusion first, then anger and finally the crushing revelations of how much his world had just changed. 

Batman was dead, but not by his hand. Someone had accomplished in less than a day what he couldn’t do in 10 years of constant struggle, sleepless nights and borderline masochistic levels of self-sacrifice. He nearly threw-up as he put the pieces together, realized how much of his time, _his life_ had all been for naught. He lost a game to someone he didn't even know he was playing. He was a loser, a failure. 

But... that wasn’t what hurt most. Batman had left him,not in the sense he was dead; that was what Edward had wanted after all. But in a more literal way. Bats had abandoned him under the orphanage floor for days, found all his riddles and then failed to finish their fight. He’d CHOSEN to forget about him, left him rot like a piece of meat at the back of the fridge. How long might he have been under there if the power hadn’t gone out? Days? Weeks??? Was he truly so unimportant batman couldn't even be bothered to finish what he’d started? Didn't the caped crusader have a point to prove?! Didn't batman need to stop him, save everyone and prove how smart he was in the process? Who was he to deny Edward that same chance? He could have beaten batman this time, he could have! And It would have fixed everything! 

Edward sighs, is slow breath fogging around him It all sounds so stupid when you say it out loud. He tosses his glasses aside, pinching the bridge of his nose as he feels another wave of tears burn in his eyes. He’s laughing but it’s the kind of laughter that makes people nervous. He’s not sure why anyone would be nervous around him. It’s funny after all! Who did he think he was fooling? If an entire army, Deathstroke and freaking Scarecrow on a warpath couldn't do it, what hope did he have? Bruce was right to leave him down there.

He would have done the same thing in his position.

Frigid hands find their way to his hair, pulling at the greasy strands as blunted nails dig into his scalp.” _get a hold of yourself, edward.”_ but he couldn't. Just another thing he failed at. He drags his fingers through his hair hoping the pain will make him focus. It hurts like hell but nothing compared to the hideous ache in his chest. He has to let it out, before it kills him “ you're an idiot.. '' This murmur isn't enough . He needs the kind of catharsis that can only come from screaming until your throat is raw .He needs to be heard.“ A moron ,Edward.a fool. That's all you are and that's all you'll ever be!” He hates his accent, how his voice starts to sound exactly like his fathers when he's tired or scared. “Too smart for your own good and too dumb to just DIE!” his death grip on his forearms is more than enough to bruise, even draw small beads of blood. What's one more wound? His hands twitch like they want to scratch it all away “What are you Edward? Let all of gotham hear what kind of-of - of fuck up you are!” he barks “Say it!” his voice cracks, fractures into a pitch that barely comes out “im-im!” he lets go, voice dropping so low it's almost inaudible.

“A failure. A worthless failure.” Suddenly exhausted and very aware of the cold, Edward curls in on himself, bruised knees drawn to his chest and wrapped by his arms for warmth. He clenches his eyes shut tight, willing himself to get a grip .What was the point in trying? What was the point of any of it? He couldn't even keep himself warm, why should anyone believe he could beat batman? Why should anyone believe he can do anything?

A shiver runs through him. He’s so damn tired of it all. Tired of failing, tired of feeling. Tired of this endless cycle of pain and humiliation.Edward searches his mind for even the faintest reason to pull away from the water yet finds nothing . Without a plan, a reason, _without Batman_ there is no point in going on. He looks down into the dark waters of Gotham bay, his gaunt reflection staring back. For the first time in years, he feels something approaching a sense of calm. Or maybe, he’s just too tired to care.

He clears his eyes enough to see his patchwork skin. Wounds fresh and old; scars and injuries only he knows are there. It hurts. Hurts to look at, hurts to think. All he had to do was lean forward a few degrees, unbalance himself from his perch on the dock and he’d never be hurt again.

As he begins to pitch forward, the rain suddenly stops. He opens his eyes and sees a shadow around him, a warm body standing at his shoulder. For a moment, he’s paralyzed, unable to move or even think. 

**_“You’ll catch your death sitting here like this._ **”

Edward quickly composes himself, unfurling his legs and wiping his eyes to no effect. The slip dock he was sitting on was far removed from the main road, he’d chosen it specifically so no one would see him.

Trust that gossamer witch to find him.

“I-i- i just needed some air.” he stammers, pawing the ground for his glasses “at 2 am?” Edward flinches, the fear of being caught in a lie is a hard thing to unlearn.“ here.” Shepherd's ghostly white hand extends from the sleeve of her woolen coat, his glasses gently grasped between her slender fingers.”looking for these?” he pushes his glasses back in place but quickly wishes he hadn't. Shepherd is standing far too close, her details suddenly in sharp focus. He doesn't know where to look so he settles for staring at his feet, dangling over the edge of the dock.

“It’s so stupid.” he chastises “IM so stupid.” he feels her crouch beside him, her warm breath close to his neck as she speaks “ well. I'm not saying that.” she said in a sing song voice “ but sitting in the rain when it's only 5 degrees out isn't something a smart person would do.” she twirls her umbrella, watching as the droplets fly into the ocean rippling until they disappear in the waves.”buuuuut youre preeeettty damn smart” she offers “ so you must have a reason.” her prompt goes unnoticed, edward still too wrapped up in thought to respond “You want to talk about it?” the rain has almost stopped, his silence feeling even louder in its absence “I know you two didnt get along. But it's ok to be sad about it.” she flattens out her skirt and settles beside him, umbrella still held aloft over their heads in her free hand “I'm listening.”

“It's just-” He sputters without control “ i-” he exhales. it's been a while since his words have failed him so spectacularly. How does one articulate a lifetime of grievances? How do you explain that your one outlet for all that pain is gone and now you don't know what to do with it all? the short answer is, you can't.

So Edward settles for silence. 

A little time passes. He doesnt feel so cold with her beside him, giving out warmth like a space heater. With his head bowed he risks a look in her direction. Shepherd is sitting poised, immaculate. The only spotless thing for miles around, swinging her legs off the edge of the slip as she watches the ocean with hidden fascination . She must have sensed his gaze on her, tilting her head in his direction “Edward.” Her voice sounded just like the rain, patterning and soft “ whatever you’re thinking about doing, it's not worth it.” 

  
  


“isnt it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor eddie. this was quite a long one but even at nearly 2k words im not done with it. i got another prompt about coffee that im going to use as a part 2 for this one down the line.  
> dont worry folx it gets better for riddler in the au, i promise

**Author's Note:**

> i do love fluff. i just finished arkham origins and it makes me sad to see how good riddler looks when hes just starting out. he looks half dead now =(


End file.
